Jingle bells were rung, and carols were sung at the Carillon Care Center on December 10, as song leaders Jan Mallindine, Beth Mallindine and Ruthie Rosauer led residents and non-residents in Christmas songs. There were SIXTY SEVEN singers! That’s a lot of holiday cheer! The next Side by Side for the Holidays will be Wednesday, December 17 at 1:30 — also at Carillon.

Santa might be making his list and checking it twice but Side by Side songleaders, Jan Mallindine, Beth Mallindine, and Ruthie Rosauer are ready to make the season a little brighter with songs from both the regular Side by Side repertoire — and much-loved Christmas songs. The community is invited to join us in singing on Wednesdays, December 10 and 17, at 1:30. Refreshments will follow the song session. The sessions are FREE. All are welcome!

Location is the Carillon Center at 3851 Howard Gap Road, Hendersonville, North Carolina.

We are pleased to announce that a six-week Side by Side Singing series will begin at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, NC on Friday, April 10 at 2pm. Sessions will be one hour of singing followed by refreshments. Sessions, offered free of charge, will be on Friday afternoons weekly through May 16. Facilitators: Debbie Nordeen and Ruthie Rosauer

There is now a video about Side by Side Singing! It is just under nine minutes long. It includes clips of us singing during sessions — you’ll hear parts of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Side by Side,” “Happy Trails,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and others. We are a lively and enthusiastic group of singers!!!!

The video also includes Debbie and Ruthie talking about Side by Side and some of the health benefits of singing. We couldn’t list ALL the health benefits of singing or it would have been waaaaay too long.

We look forward to Side by Side for the Holidays on December 10 and 17 at 1:30 at the Carillon in Hendersonville. But until we meet again we hope you will enjoy watching the video. Here’s the link:

Ruthie and Debbie presented information about Side by Side Singing at the Alzheimer’s Caregiver’s conference in Arden, North

Ruthie Rosauer (left) and Debbie Nordeen, facilitators of Side by Side

Carolina on October 23, 2014. We told them how good singing was for healthy aging and gave them a taste of a Side by Side sessions. But recognizing that there isn’t always a Side by Side Singing session handy, we also prepared a hand-out with ideas for incorporating music into your everyday life — especially helpful for those who have cognitive disorders.

Here are the suggestions:

1) Play CDs of your loved one’s favorite songs by favorite artists so she/he can join in singing.

4) Sing along with YouTube videos by searching favorite artists or old shows such as the Lawrence Welk or Andy Williams show. You can also search for specific songs.

5) Buy the singer’s editions of Volumes 1 and 2 of “Get America Singing Again” by Hal Leonard. The singer’s edition small books are only $4 each on Amazon. If you are over 50 years old and grew up in the USA chances are good that you will know all the songs. Songs include favorites such as: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad and Oh! What A Beautiful Morning. (This is not an ad! We just love these books.)

6) If your loved one played an instrument in younger years, get it out, dust it off and encourage him or her to play it again.

7) Play the “Lyrics Relay Game.” It goes like this, you sing “Oh we ain’t got a barrel of — ” and pause for the other person to fill in the missing word. He will sing, “Money, maybe we’re —-” then YOU to fill in a word and keep singing. Keep tossing the song back and forth like a football.

8) Whistle while you work (or hum if you can’t whistle).

9) Dance together to favorite music.

10) Play the “Opera Game.” Instead of speaking to each other SING to each other in wildly dramatic ways as if you were in an opera. “What are we having for SUPPER TONIGHT???” “We are having (dramatic pause) macaroni, macaroni, roni, ro-NIIIIII” You get the idea!

Those of you who have attended Side by Side Singing will remember the glee with which we play rhythm instruments of all sorts, especially the tamborines. We really get going on “This Little Light of Mine.” Jan Mallindine has accompanied us on the guitar many times on that song. We’ve also really enjoyed Jan playing favorites such as “This Land is My Land,” “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Debbie Nordeen and Ruthie Rosauer trade off on the piano. We’ve had drums from time to time — most memorably on “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The last two Side By Side sessions in the Hendersonville location found Ruthie on the clarinet for Yo Lisa Goy (aka The Vine and Fig Tree), I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, Those Were the Days (which we have re-written slightly to be THESE Are the Days), and the Hebrew round Shalom Chevarim. We also added a new song to our repertoire from Fiddler on the Roof — “Sunrise, Sunset.” The clarinet can embellish the melody line — or help carry the melody to free up singers to explore possible harmony lines to add to the joyful sound we make together.